The Guilds

IN the days before the Norman. came to England there were very few towns because the Anglo Saxons lived chiefly in small villages. After the Normans came, trade began to flourish and people found it more profitable to live near one another. In this way many towns began to grow.

Sometimes towns started where travellers were likely to meet, such as at the fording place across a river, because merchants were sure of customers in such places. Other towns sprang up near monasteries, which were the resting places for travellers.
Once the town had become established, the townspeople tried to obtain special rights from the king. In return for a large sum of money, the king was often ready to release the townsmen from their duty to him and allow them to choose their own leaders and make their own town laws. Within the towns it was the guilds which saw that everything was done fairly. Each guild contained all the craftsmen or merchants in one particular kind of business. They kept a strict control of their members and would not allow more than a certain price to be charged for goods. A watch was kept on the quality of the goods, and if a member was found to be making too great a profit or if his goods were poor in quality he was punished. He would be taken through the streets with his goods hung round his neck and finally put with his neck and wrists in the pillory, so that the townspeople could see who it was that had cheated them.

In order that the guilds could keep a close check on their members, it became the custom for all the members of the same guild to trade in the same part of the town. In this way there are towns with streets named Fish Street and Potter Street, where once all the shops sold the same article. Few people in the town could read, so that it was little use for a tradesman to put his name above his shop. Instead, a painted sign was hung outside for all to see what was sold there.

Each shop had an open front which could be shuttered at night. During the day the shutters were removed and the goods were displayed in the window. Behind the shops were the work-rooms where the goods were made.

The big trading day of the week was market day. People from the country surrounding the town set up stalls in the main cobbled square to sell the food they had grown on their farms. Before returning to their farms they would purchase the things they needed for the following week.

Occasionally in some towns a much larger fair was held. These fairs were not very frequent, because travel was so difficult and dangerous. Permission for a large fair was granted by the king, and the right to hold such a fair was eagerly sought by the lords and citizens because such a fair meant a great deal of prosperity.

At these the traders paid for the right to put up their stalls and taxes were paid on all sales made. During the fair a court called the Court of Pie Powder (from the French Pieds Poudreux, meaning "dusty feet") was held, to which were brought all the visitors who had broken the rules. If they were found guilty, there was a fine to be paid. These fines often brought money to the town.

The large fairs lasted several weeks and traders came from all over the country. Many of them, in fact, came from overseas there would be money-lenders, the first bankers, came from Lombardy; the Flemish weavers, came to buy the fine English wool with which to make cloth; and a host of people who would entertain. It is from these market fairs that the fairs we know today grew. Gradually selling died out as people were able to buy from shops more easily, but the fun and entertainment continued, so that a fair today usually means a place of roundabouts and sideshows.

Besides the eagerly awaited entertainment's, there were also sports for the people to watch. The sports were often cruel, cock fighting and the baiting of bears by dogs. Besides the sports, there would be many ways in which the people could amuse themselves, such as racing, wrestling, jumping and playing a kind of football game that had no goal-posts and no rules.

In the towns there were many fine churches which had been paid for by wealthy tradesmen, and perhaps some guildhalls where the guilds would hold their meetings. But most of the buildings were not so fine as these larger buildings. The houses of the citizens were close together on either side of a narrow cobbled street. Nearly all the houses were made of wood, which was plentiful, and in some towns the roofs were thatched. Later, rules were made that roofs should be tiled, so they would not catch fire so easily.

Streets in a town in the Middle Ages were dirty , there were no drains and the people threw their rubbish into the gutters, where pigs wandering through the town would scratch for something to eat. Sometimes rules were made by the mayor and citizens that refuse had to be dumped outside the city wall or into the river. There was a great deal of disease, but it was not discovered until years after that the dirty habits and lack of hygiene were often the cause of illness.

In the Middle Ages there began to take shape the kind of local government that we know today. The townspeople took great pride in being members of their town, and anybody from another town was thought of as a foreigner. There was little love between towns, and often pitched battles between them. It was not until transport became better and people travelled more that these strong local feelings died down and trade between towns began to flourish

People were no longer satisfied with the simple things produced in their own villages , around the time of the Norman Conquest, England was becoming prosperous they were anxious to buy from and sell wares to the merchants, who lived in the towns, and brought by pack-horse or overseas goods to the fairs and markets .

Those were unruly days. Many a rich merchant was robbed on the highway or held to ransom by a wicked baron. To protect themselves the merchants in the larger towns joined together in brotherhoods known as merchant guilds. Even a baron would think twice before harming a member of a guild, for he knew that the guild would see to it that he was punished if he did.
As trade increased another sort of guild came into being. All the people in a town who followed the same craft would form a guild. There were guilds of cloth-makers, of cutlers, who made knives, of armourers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, bakers, butchers, tailors, and so on. We must remember that in the Middle Ages there were no factories. The craftsmen worked in their own homes. Usually the ground floor of the house was the workshop, and here, also, customers were served. The master craftsman and his family lived above. The master was often helped by one or two journeymen and
apprentices.

When a boy was 12 or 13 years old, his father, would apprentice him, perhaps to a master silversmith. The silversmith and the boy's father signed an agreement. The silversmith promised to teach the boy the craft, feed and clothe him and bring him up a good Christian. The father promised that the boy would become the master's apprentice for seven years, respecting and obeying him, diligently learning the craft and living quietly in his house. The father gave the silversmith a sum of money and the boy received no wages during his apprenticeship.

For seven years the boy lived as a member of his master's family. work. The journeyman would work hard and save money, so that, after perhaps 10 years, he could leave his master and set up in business by himself. Now he must join the guild. To prove that he was worthy to become a member, he must bring before the guild Council a fine example of his workmanship. This might be a beautiful goblet or bowl. It was known as his "master piece." We still use the word "masterpiece" for a particularly fine piece of work by a craftsman or artist.

Certain of the guilds founded schools where the sons of members were educated. Some of these ancient schools exist today, the guild looked after the interests of its members. It forbade anyone who was not a member to carry on the craft. Its inspectors examined the articles produced by the members and, if any were found to be of poor quality, the maker was fined. If a member journeyed to another town, or to a foreign country, he was given a letter of introduction to the guild there, so that he was well received. When a member died, his widow and children were looked after by the guild.

although the Some masters were unkind of course, but usually the apprentices were happy and as full of pranks as boys of today. When the seven years had passed, the young man became his master's journeyman. This means one who was paid a wage for his day's work In most large towns one guild was far more important than all the others. For instance, in a district where much woollen cloth was made, the cloth-makers' guild would be most important.

The wealthy guilds built fine guildhalls to serve as their headquarters. There they had their offices, held their feasts and received important visitors from guilds in other towns or countries. Since all the important men in the town were members of the guild, it is not surprising that the principal men in the guild were usually the mayor and aldermen of the town as well. Since they met in the Guildhall, this sometimes had to do duty as the Town Hall as well. companies had their coats-of-arms which showed the symbols of their trade guilds have long since passed away.